The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for producing bean curd of the type termed "momen tofu" which is bean curd conventionally prepared with use of "momen" or cotton cloth.
Conventionally, bean curd of the type mentioned is prepared by adding a coagulant to soybean milk at about 80.degree. C. with stirring to coagulate the milk and by dewatering the coagulated milk for forming. The coagulant used is bittern, calcium sulfate, glucono delta lactone or the like.
The coagulated soybean milk is dewatered and formed by wrapping the coagulated milk with cotton cloth laid inside a mold box, placing a closure over the coagulated milk as wrapped with the cotton cloth and applying pressure to the closure with a heavy stone placed thereon.
The single mass of bean curd thus obtained corresponds to tens of unit blocks and is cut into blocks of unit size.
When bittern is used as the coagulant in the above process, there arises the problem that bean curd having good water retentivity can not be obtained since soybean milk rapidly coagulates at a high temperature. The problem as to water retentivity can be overcome if calcium sulfate or glucono delta lactone is used as the coagulant, whereas another problem is then encountered in that the bean curd prepared tastes somewhat sour, hence has an impaired flavor.
Furthermore, the conventional process essentially requires the use of cotton cloth, which involves the following problems. First, the cotton cloth is not sanitary. Second, it is difficult to automatically lay the cotton cloth inside the mold box and remove the cloth from the bean curd formed.